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The pain and swelling of a gout attack are caused by uric acid crystals building up in the joint and leading to inflammation. The body normally forms uric acid when breaking down cells and proteins, releasing it into the bloodstream. The uric acid usually stays dissolved in the blood and ends up being flushed out by the kidneys. If there's too much uric acid in the blood, called hyperuricemia, or if the kidneys can't get rid of it quickly enough, it may begin to form crystals that collect in the joints and even the kidneys, skin, and other soft tissues. Although most gout patients have hyperuricemia, about 3 in 10 turn out to have normal uric acid levels during an actual attack. Meanwhile, hyperuricemia by itself doesn't mean that a person will develop gout - less than 1 in 5 people with high uric acid end up with gout. Certain high-protein foods can make the bodyproduce too much uric acid, triggering gout. Beverages such as tea, coffee, cocoa, and especially alcohol in any form lead to extra water loss from the body, which can cause an attack. Certain medications can hamper the kidneys' ability to clear out uric acid, including ASA (Aspirin®) and diuretics or "water pills" commonly given to control high blood pressure. Finally, sudden changes in diet and weight gain or loss can also lead to gout.

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While it is true that gout is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints, this does not explain why gout often occurs in one big toe rather than the other. When I got gout it happened to be on the same side (right) where I have varicose veins in my lower leg. Is it possible that the increased venous pooling made the deposition of uric acid crystals more likely? Has anyone else notices a concurrence, on the same leg, of gout and varicose veins?

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You ask a very good question. I think what you should do is ask your question again as a new question on Yedda and more people will see it and there will be a better chance that you will get an answer.

Varicose veins or spider veins - there is very little that can be done to prevent from occurring although there is a lot that can be done to make them disappear in a virtually painless manner through sclerotherapy

Gout is caused by acid in your blood system. If your blood is acidic it is unable to do it's job of removing acidic wastes from the body, therefore causing problems. To remove the all the wastes, the body must be slightly alkaline. Therefore you must eat alkaline foods and drink alkaline water such ...